Recently, considerable research has been conducted on nanostructures including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanowires, nanorods, etc. One outcome of such research is the discovery that the CNT can be used as a tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM). The tip of the AFM typically requires strength high enough to resist impact with a specimen surface in operation and high resolution to reliably measure a contact structure having a high aspect ratio. To attain the high resolution, the tip may have a geometric structure with a high aspect ratio.
The CNTs possess good chemical-resistant properties and good mechanical strength. In addition, the CNTs may have the geometric structure with a high aspect ratio. Thus, the CNTs are a promising candidate for the tip of the AFM. For example, a needle-shaped CNT formed at an apex of the tip is suitable for use as a probe of a tip of the AFM. One method for attaching the CNT onto a silicon tip coated with an adhesive is disclosed in Appl. Phys. Lett. 73(23) 3465-3467, 1998 by S. S. Wong, et al. or Nature 384(14), 147-150, 1996 by H. Dai, et al.
To use the CNT as the probe of the tip of the AFM, the development of a technology that reliably forms the CNT to have good adhesion with the tip and have a high aspect ratio is needed. Further, it is necessary to obtain a technology that attaches the CNT onto the tip in a manner to have geometry substantially in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the tip.